what do you think is the long term impact of having done that on our economy and on our standing in the globe? >> i think any way you cut it, the decision to go to war in iraq was a disaster and took our eye off afghanistan and al qaeda. and the human toll was enormous. 4,500 u.s. service members died. 100,000 at least iraqi civilians were killed. the cost estimate is between $1 to $3 trillion depending on what study you look at. it was an enormously costly mistake for our country. i think that the american people lost a lot of faith in their leadership to tell them the truth. to make decisions about war and peace based on facts and not misrepresentations of intelligence. and it hurt our standing around the globe. any way you cut it, this decision was a disaster. >> you work inside the white house. do you think they knew that they didn't have wmd? what do you think is the real reason why we went into iraq? >> that's a great question. something struck me having been in that building is how difficult these choices. are i remember hearing a very senior member of the intelligence committee